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Business Standard
24-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Spiritual circuits to gain as India opens doors to Chinese tourists
The Indian tourism sector has cheered the government's move to resume issuing visas to Chinese nationals after a hiatus of five years, while calling for 'concentrated efforts' to attract tourists from the neighbouring country, who had formed 27 per cent of the total foreign tourist footfall to India in 2019. 'It is a good move. China is one of our major trade partners, and tourism, which fosters people to people interaction, could lead to greater cooperation and understanding. But mere liberalisation of the visa regime is not enough. There should be a concentrated effort to create and actively promote itineraries and experiences geared to attract Chinese tourists,' said Ajay Prakash, vice president of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH). India had received around 300,000 Chinese tourists in 2019, after which the Covid-19 pandemic prompted countries to close borders. 'Chinese tourists accounted for nearly 27 per cent of total foreign tourist arrivals to India in 2019, and we are very glad to welcome this move from the government as China is an important source market for the country,' said Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), which has been pushing for this for the past three years. In 2018, a survey conducted by and Chinese International Travel Monitor, said that Delhi and Mumbai were the top most visited Indian cities for Chinese tourists. However, the Taj Mahal in Agra took the cake as the most favoured site. 'Chinese tourists mostly used to visit in big groups and enjoyed the variety of experiences that India offers. The golden triangle, made up of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, was among the most sought after tours from these groups,' said a tour operator who did not wish to be named. Now, with the evolution of spiritual tourism in the country, the Buddhist spiritual corridors coming up in Bihar, connecting the ancient Vishnupad and Mahabodhi temples, there will be heightened interest from the Chinese traveller, say industry experts. 'With regional tourism now regaining momentum post-Covid, we believe the restoration of visas for Chinese tourists is critical to revive inbound growth,' Gosain added. The Embassy of India in China announced on Wednesday that Chinese nationals can apply for Indian visas from Thursday (July 24, 2025) after completing an online application and obtaining an appointment at the Indian Embassy in Beijing and the consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou. This move comes on the heels of China resuming the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in June this year.
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Business Standard
24-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India's spiritual circuits to benefit as Chinese tourists make a comeback
Indian tour operators are cheering the government's move to issue tourist visas to Chinese citizens for the first time in five years – a sign of thawing relations between the two nations. 'It is a good move. China is one of our major trade partners, and tourism, which fosters people-to-people interaction, could lead to greater cooperation and understanding. But mere liberalisation of the visa regime is not enough. There should be a concentrated effort to create and actively promote itineraries and experiences geared to attract Chinese tourists,' said Ajay Prakash, vice president of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH). India had received around 300,000 Chinese tourists in 2019, after which the Covid-19 pandemic prompted countries to close off their borders. However, the two most populous nations in the world did not lift travel restrictions for each other's citizens. 'Chinese tourists accounted for nearly 27 per cent of total foreign tourist arrivals to India in 2019, and we are very glad to welcome this move from the government as China is an important source market for the country,' said Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), which has been pushing for this for the past three years. In 2018, a survey conducted by the Chinese International Travel Monitor revealed that Delhi and Mumbai were among the top visited Indian cities for Chinese tourists. However, the Taj Mahal in Agra was the most favoured site to visit. 'Chinese tourists mostly used to visit in big groups and enjoyed seeing the variety of experiences that India offers. The Golden Triangle – made up of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra – was among the most sought-after tours from these groups,' said a tour operator who did not wish to be named. Now, with the evolution of spiritual tourism in the country, the Buddhist spiritual corridors coming up in Bihar, connecting the ancient Vishnupad and Mahabodhi temples, are set to see heightened interest from Chinese travellers, say industry experts. The Embassy of India in China announced on Wednesday that visas can be applied for starting Thursday (July 24, 2025) after completing an online application and obtaining an appointment at the Indian Embassy in Beijing and the consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou. This came after China resumed the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in June this year. As many as 750 pilgrims were selected from 5,500 applicants. Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar had also travelled to China in July and met his counterpart Wang Yi, along with other national leaders, including President Xi Jinping. These steps have been instrumental in this move, say industry experts, adding that the move will help in.
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Business Standard
15-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Travel industry in turbulence amid worsening West Asia situation
With the Iran-Israel conflict escalating, travel planning is becoming more complex as airspace closures over Pakistan, Iran, and Israel are leading to longer flight routes, especially for Europe-bound travellers. Schedules could be altered at short notice depending on the Notices to Airmen or NOTAMs issued by the governments of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Industry executives said closure of airspaces leading to longer routes and flight times has already led to a hike in air fares on some routes, which will impact travel demand for West bound flights as airlines will have to take more circuitous routes to avoid conflict zones. Schedules overall could be impacted on account of deployment or redeployment of aircraft. 'The Iran-Israel hostilities and the closure of airspaces leading to longer routes/flight times is bound to impact fares. One can already see a 12-15 per cent hike on some sectors,' said Ajay Prakash, vice-president at Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality. Temporary airspace restrictions due to the ongoing tensions in West Asia have led to longer flight routes by nearly 2-4 hours and leading to an excess in airline operational cost, said Sabina Chopra, chief operating officer and cofounder, at Yatra Online Ltd. 'Flight fares are shaped by several factors; fuel prices, demand, operational shifts among them. Rerouted paths have led to an increase of 15-20 per cent in some of these routes,' she said. IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory on Sunday, 'Due to the ongoing airspace restrictions, flight routes to and from the Gulf are experiencing congestion, which may result in delays on certain sectors. As we continue to operate via alternate paths, extended travel times may be expected.' Air India had issued a similar advisory on Friday where it diverted more than a dozen flights en route to London, New York, Sharjah, Delhi, Frankfurt, Chicago, Washington and Toronto, while several flights returned to their origin ports. Airlines are already avoiding Pakistan's airspace following the India - Pakistan conflict last month. 'Flight fares to Western destinations have increased by 15–25 per cent on key routes due to the Pakistan airspace closure. If similar restrictions continue in Iranian and Israeli airspace, a comparable rise is expected due to longer detours and higher fuel consumption,' said Ravi Gosain, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators. Flight disruptions from geopolitical situations and the recent crash of the Air India flight have created anxiety among flyers. Industry executives noted that while some rescheduling requests were coming in, flyers were also keen to know the kind of aircraft being used for their travel. 'After the Air India accident, safety is a growing concern. Travelers are increasingly inquiring about aircraft types after the Dreamliner incident. While we don't currently display aircraft type during booking, we're evaluating this feature to support transparency and peace of mind for our clients,' Gosain said. Travel portals and tour operators are also evaluating ways to disclose the type of aircraft in use for consumers while they make their bookings for international travel. 'Safety is understandably top-of-mind for travellers. Incidents like the recent Dreamliner crash have raised awareness about aircraft types and airline safety records. already displays detailed flight information, including aircraft model and carrier (where available) and we are working on making this data even more prominent in the booking flow,' Chopra said.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Turkey out, central Asia In: Where Indian tourists are headed instead this summer
The recent cancellations of holidays to Turkey and Azerbaijan are now leading to increased interest in countries like Kazakhstan, Egypt, Jordan, Georgia, and Armenia, as per industry experts. Meanwhile, there are also more enquiries for Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia — many of which are visa-free for Indian citizens — even though some may find the hot weather unsuitable, they say. Despite offering cooler climes, other European countries are not able to gain much traction since Schengen visa dates remain a problem, adds another industry expert. Presently, Indian nationals have to wait several months to get a visa appointment for the most popular Schengen countries — Germany, France, Italy, and Spain — making it practically impossible to travel ahead of the summer holiday season. Over the last 10 days, ever since Turkey and Azerbaijan came out in support of Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor, there has been a sharp decline in visa applications to these two countries, as per Atlys, a visa processing platform. 'We have reported a sharp 42% decline in visa applications to Turkey and Azerbaijan following recent geopolitical developments that shifted Indian traveller sentiment dramatically. As both countries publicly expressed support for Pakistan, within just 36 hours, the number of users exiting the visa application process midway surged by 60%,' said a spokesperson for Atlys. This reversal came after a strong start to the year. In the first quarter of 2025, visa applications to Turkey and Azerbaijan had risen nearly 64% compared to the same period in 2024, they added. Destinations like Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Baku (Azerbaijan) were emerging as go-to options for Indian travellers seeking a balance of affordability, ease, and short-haul flights. Group visa requests, including family trips, fell by nearly 49%, while solo and couple applications declined more gradually at 27%, said the Atlys spokesperson. The data also revealed early signals for the coming season. As Turkey and Azerbaijan lost favour, in the subsequent days, applications to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Egypt rose by up to 31%. These countries, seen as affordable, accessible, and politically neutral, are now drawing attention. Echoing the trend, Ajay Prakash, Chief Executive of Mumbai-based Nomad Travels and Vice Chairman, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, said, 'The eastern countries and the UAE have seen more enquiries, but the next couple of months are going to be hot months there, so that would play a role.' However, he added that even as demand grows stronger for Europe, the visa situation is a stumbling block. 'This is an opportunity for the Schengen states to invest in processing more visas speedily and increase footfalls from India,' said Prakash. Subhash Goel, Chairman of STIC Travel Group and President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), says that they have even seen tourists seeking more 'geopolitically aligned and friendly countries,' with Egypt and Jordan replacing Turkey, while Armenia and Georgia are being preferred over Azerbaijan. In 2024, Armenia received approximately 43,672 visitors, whereas 1.24 lakh Indian nationals visited Georgia. Egypt and Jordan are also gaining popularity among Indian travellers, with official statistics showing 1.5 lakh Indians visiting Egypt in 2024 and 70,000 visiting Jordan last year. On the other hand, while Turkey registered 3 lakh Indian tourists in 2024, Azerbaijan got 2.44 lakh. It is expected that a chunk of this number will now be diverted towards Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as well, industry sources say. Goel says some are also opting for the comfort of familiar Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia — even Thailand and Malaysia — despite the hot weather, since their bookings are non-refundable and they have to find a quick, familiar alternative. 'Those who had open travel plans or refundable bookings are either cancelling their holidays for now or looking for Schengen countries with faster visa appointment dates,' he adds. Recently, travel booking portals have reported a notable drop in bookings from Indians for these countries — and a jump in cancellations. Some Indian travel service providers have also stopped offering flight and hotel bookings for the two countries, while a few others are dissuading Indians from travelling there. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
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Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Travel bodies join hands to revive Kashmir tourism post-terror attack
Tourism associations express solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir after Pahalgam terror attack; hoteliers offer discounts as confidence-building begins Mumbai Listen to This Article Major associations in the travel and hospitality sector have joined hands in an effort to revive the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack in April. This comes after the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) recently launched a 'Chalo Kashmir' campaign to encourage travel to the region. 'All the major associations have expressed solidarity with Kashmir and the entire tourism industry of the state, and the effect of this (the terror attack) will take some time to wear off,' Ajay Prakash, vice-chairman, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), told Business Standard.
